Conventional envelopes may be difficult to open, especially without a letter opener, since once sealed, the user typically must rip or tear the envelope to open it. These actions can be awkward and can result in minor cuts and/or abrasions to the fingers and hands of the person tearing the envelope open.
One conventional envelope design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,736, issued to Kim, entitled, “Reusable Mailing Envelope With Tear-Strip Opening Device”. This patent relates to a reusable envelope with a front address panel and a rear panel joined along three edges to form a pocket with an open top. A first extended sealing flap joined to the top edge of the address panel is provided with a tear strip formed by a line of perforations extending across the top edge of the envelope and through the flap.
A second sealing flap is provided which is foldably connected to the top edge of the rear panel and is initially either folded and retained inside the envelope pocket or against the exterior of the rear panel for the first mailing, and is folded over and onto the first panel for the second use. The second flap has an adhesive area securing means for sealing the envelope when the flap is positioned on the address panel for a further mailing. The address panel is provided with an area is for postage indicia and, is optionally provided with a first return address area adjacent the top edge of the address panel. The address panel optionally includes a second return address area located adjacent the bottom edge of the address panel and another area for applying postage. The second sealing flap is sized to cover at least the first return address area and first postage area and, optionally, the first address area, when the second sealing flap is folded over and sealed to the address panel, and can also be pre-printed by the originator with return address and bulk mailing indicia.
Another conventional envelope is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,648, issued to Hollingsworth et al., entitled, “Prepaid Card in a Pull Out Envelope”. This patent relates to a fold out, two panel card having a pop-out portion supporting a prepaid card. The two panel card includes an outer two panel portion and an inner two panel portion in registry with the outer portion. The inner two panel portion further includes the pop-out portion supporting the prepaid card. The pop-out portion comprises a first and second pop-out panels extending from the respective panels of the inner two panel portion. The prepaid card is secured to a major portion of one of the pop-out panels and a tongue cut out of the other pop-out panel. The pop-out portion and prepaid card of the inner two panel portion are received inside the outer two panel portion when the inner and outer two panel portions, in registry with each other, are folded together. Unfolding the in registry two panel portions causes the pop-out portion and prepaid card to lie flat, co-planar with the unfolded panels, wherein the longitudinal axis of the prepaid card is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the two panel card.
Another conventional envelope is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,213, issued to Purcell, entitled, “Easy Open Envelope”. This patent relates to an envelope that has a tear strip that functions as an efficient opening means for access to the envelope contents.
What is needed to advance the state of the art is an envelope that is easy to open and can be used to contain the contents after the envelope has been opened.